phoenix – In this election, voters in Maricopa County are facing delayed results and the possibility of long lines at polling places on Election Day.

Here’s what you need to know:

Why should we expect long lines and delays in getting results?

There are several reasons as to why people expect this to happen.

ballot length

Here’s a sample two-page ballot similar to the ones some voters will be voting on during Arizona’s November 2024 general election.

One reason for that has to do with the significantly longer ballots that Maricopa County voters will receive.

“Here in Maricopa County, for the first time since 2006, we will have a two-page ballot and an election on both sides,” said Maricopa County Supervisor Bill Gates. “We’re talking about four different aspects of the contest. The average number of contests is 79. We expect participants to take a little longer.”

Some voters may wait in line long after polls close, potentially delaying the count. Under Arizona lawEligible voters who are in line at the polls deadline may vote.

new law

Arizona’s new law could also delay results.

The law, authored by Republican state Rep. Alex Kolodin, first requires poll workers to wait until polls are closed. All dropped green envelope ballots must then be counted by hand. Ballots are then delivered to election centers, where signatures are verified and votes are counted.

“This will tell us where all the ballots are, where they went, how many ballots there were at each stage of the process, that they all match up, and that no additional ballots are being put into the system. “We can know that,” said state Rep. Kolodin.

Kolodin said it should take poll workers anywhere from 45 minutes to several hours to count the green enveloped ballots.

Will we know who is president on election night?

Election experts say the idea that the country will know who will be the next president by Tuesday night is more than wishful thinking.

In Arizona, if an election office discovers an error on a voter’s ballot, that voter must correct it within five days. Election officials say the entire ballot processing process could take up to two weeks.